EATING OUT

Going out for dinner with friends or family, a work lunch or a romantic dinner date are wonderful social events that are deeply engraved in our culture. Unfortunately, it often doesn’t go hand in hand with our nutritional plan. In order to enjoy both worlds you need to have a firm strategy, and here are some of my guidelines to inspire you to develop your own:

Good planning- choose the restaurant carefully, check their menu ahead of time to see if it caters for you. Communicate your dietary preferences (like vegetarian, gluten free etc.) while making the reservation- very often the chef will be happy to make something special for you if you let them know ahead of time.

Don’t get there starving- have a large glass of vegetable juice, a cup of stock or miso soup or another healthy snack before you go out so you don’t find yourself munching on that bread basket.

Choose light- a salad or a soup as a starter, a small portion of fish or poultry with loads of vegetables. If portions are too big then order one dish or share with someone. Leave bread, pasta, potatoes and fries on the menu card, not your plate.

Go easy on the alcohol- virgin cocktails, lemon water or fresh juices will not leave you feeling deprived. If you go for wine with the meal, order by the glass so you don’t feel obliged to finish the whole bottle.

Skip dessert- go for a nice cup of herbal tea. Drinking coffee after a meal prevents the absorption of essential nutrients.

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MY WEEKLY TIP

Have you ever found yourself staring at your open fridge or larder, scanning the products and ingredients and have absolutely no idea what to make with them, or what do you feel like eating?
And what if this situation repeats itself again and again over a period of time?
Well, you are experiencing a ‘cooking crisis’. It happens to the best of cooks!
Here are some key strategy solutions to over come the crisis:
1. Go back to basics, opt for the most simple recipes that always work.
2. Make a list of your all time favourites and stick to them for some time till you feel creativity is crawling back.
3. Focus on one ingredient you have or feel like eating and look for recipes using it as the main ingredient.
4. Think of what type of dish you feel like eating; soup, salad, burgers, pie etc. and look for a recipe for that.
5. Cook together with friends and family or initiate potluck dinners. Sharing cooking and eating with others can inspire you and boost your creativity in the kitchen.